Australians can finally enjoy a taste of Chef Curtis Stone’s cuisine close to home with his first local restaurant arriving down under on Princess Cruises’ superliner Sun Princess.

While Australians are very familiar with the Melbourne-born chef, SHARE by Curtis Stone is the first opportunity to taste his cuisine locally. Curtis opened his first restaurant Maude in Beverly Hills in 2014 and is also in the midst of opening his second restaurant Gwen in Hollywood.

His debut closer to home follows an exclusive partnership with Princess Cruises which features “Crafted by Curtis” menu items in the main dining rooms across the entire 18-ship fleet, the introduction of the signature SHARE restaurant to three ships and also a special Chef’s Table by Curtis Stone experience.

By the end of this year, two of Curtis’ restaurants will operate in local waters with SHARE also featuring on Emerald Princess, which arrives in Sydney in November for its first Australian season.

SHARE offers an exclusive specialty dining experience for guests with a menu of fresh and seasonal signature dishes in an environment designed for conversing and creating memories.

Curtis has crafted the SHARE menu for Sun Princess specifically for Australian tastes including a charcuterie board, bread and butter pudding and freshly composed salads including a spin on the classic marriage of tomato and burrata, as well as lightly poached shrimp with lemon gel, turnip, citrus salt and brioche.

A fresh truffle potato gratin and turbot bake beautifully in a deck oven, installed especially on Sun Princess to create a unique roasted flavour to appeal to Australian palettes.

Curtis’ favourite dish is the roasted king crab leg which is baked with lemongrass and paired with a chicharron powder (crispy pig skin crumble) along with a fermented soybean aioli, while the roast chicken with a bacon slab and onion slaw has become the fast favourite among guests.

In a nod to Australian wine and produce, the wine list features 22 local wines, Curtis uses Murray River salt in his cooking and Australian beef is used in the beef cheek pie.

Princess Cruises Vice President Australia and New Zealand Stuart Allison said it was a thrill to have someone of Curtis Stone’s calibre creating memorable culinary experiences for guests.

“Curtis has created a beautiful menu for SHARE on Sun Princess. Over a shared meal and a glass of Australian wine, we know our guests will feel right at home dining in SHARE, just as we hope they always feel on a Princess cruise,” Mr Allison said.

Curtis said he was thrilled to be able to share his cuisine with Australians close to home.

“I’m really proud of SHARE and hope that it becomes a special part of Australians’ holiday memories and their experience at sea with Princess. Sharing is at the core of my food philosophy so it was only natural that the restaurant be named SHARE. Connecting with friends and family over conversation and cuisine is what a speciality dining experience is all about,” Curtis said.

World-renowned hospitality designer Jeffrey Beers International designed the restaurant space to reflect Curtis’ creative vision, a space with a comfortable, homely atmosphere that stems from his own memorable mealtime experiences. A signature feature of SHARE is a communal table designed for sharing, while words that encompass the experience, like family, travel and togetherness, have been etched into hand blown glass pendants. Elements not often seen in a cruise ship restaurant add to the friendly atmosphere, with decorative curios from Curtis’ own collection including his first recipe as well as photographs and travel souvenirs.